Malcolm Butler Glorifies God in Win

New England Patriots Cornerback Malcolm Butler gave God the glory after winning the Super Bowl.

If you saw the Super Bowl yesterday, you caught the game-winning interception by the Patriots’ Malcolm Butler. If you somehow missed it, here’s the scoop: Seattle was trailing by four with less than two minutes to play when Russell Wilson lofted a pass that bounced off Jermaine Kearse’s left leg and right knee before popping into the air. Kearse flailed for the ball, only to have it bounce off his hands once, twice, three times before he pulled it into his chest for a 33-yard catch that put the Seahawks at the New England 5.

But two plays later, Malcolm Butler picked Wilson off. His game-saving interception at the goal line with 20 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIX allowed the Patriots to beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24.

After the game, Butler was caught by an NBC reporter who asked him about his remarkable feat. He said very slowly that he had just “had a vision” that he was going to make a very big play, and then (still looking somewhat awed and amazed) he said that the opportunity simply presented itself, just like in the vision.

The 24-year-old rookie, nicknamed “Scrap,” who was only signed as an undrafted free agent in May, said he really started to believe in his ability after a conversation with an Uber driver.

“When I really believed it is when I called an Uber driver for my mom. My mom called me and told me, ‘The guy spoke nice of you and he said he felt like you’re going to do something fantastic tomorrow,'” Butler told ABC News. “I just prayed on it and I just went out and played as hard as I could, and it turned out great.”

Speaking to Gayle King Feb. 2 on “CBS This Morning,” Butler said his first thought today was,“I believe in God and I’m truly blessed. I just prayed all this week, and I pray in other times, too. I just had to wake up this morning and be like ‘Is this real?’”

The graduate of tiny University of West Alabama had been passed up in the National Football League draft and looked over in the initial wave of undrafted pickups. At one point while transitioning between schools he worked for a Popeye’s restaurant

Now he will be immortalized in Super Bowl lore for his game winning interception. But he is humble about his achievement.

Charlie Rose found that out when he quipped, “If this is God, He’s got great hands.”